


Nine Months

by kazuakiis



Category: Ensemble Stars! (Video Game)
Genre: Confessions, M/M, Reunions, Short & Sweet
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-26
Updated: 2020-05-26
Packaged: 2021-03-03 00:47:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,090
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24386116
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kazuakiis/pseuds/kazuakiis
Summary: It's been nine months since graduation, and Kanata is still nowhere to be seen.One late Saturday afternoon, an unmarked message appears on Chiaki's phone.Chiaki doesn't know what to expect, especially after nine months of radio silence. But he knows one thing; that his feelings for Kanata haven't changed.
Relationships: Morisawa Chiaki/Shinkai Kanata
Comments: 1
Kudos: 61





	Nine Months

**Author's Note:**

> A quick fic scribbled down in a day after a friend threw me into a fit of inspiration. love u vega
> 
> Please enjoy~

_“I have not told you this, but... Believe it or not, I am a big fan of you, Chiaki.  
So, I will call for you, even if there is no reason to do so. Please come see me, okay...? Promise me, Chiaki.”_

“ **Morisawa!** We’re starting again, hurry up!”

The loud noise of the backstage flooded back as Chiaki was pulled away from his thoughts.

“Y-Yes sir!!”

It’s been several months since Chiaki graduated. Ever since, Chiaki had decided to give everything he had gone into his complete all. He could be called a multi-talent of sorts, he supposed. The best he could do is go above and beyond in the work he could do, until maybe he’ll be recognized for a potential tokusatsu acting role, and then… well, he’d keep doing his best even after that, right?

Before he knew it, nine months had already passed. He often attended Ryuseitai’s performances, ate out with the kids, and in general, kept in pretty good contact despite how busy he was. Kanata, on the other hand…

There had been no word of him since graduation day. Even the other graduate from the Marine Club, Kaoru Hakaze, hasn’t been able to get in contact with him either. Even Kanata’s family has been suspiciously quiet.

Kanata had told Chiaki that he had plans to travel, so he’s not _too_ surprised. Chiaki trusted him. He had grown so much, and had become so passionate about the things he loved… Wherever he was, Chaiki knew he was safe.

Right. Everything will be okay. No, everything is ok.

...Is what Chiaki would try to think. No, being honest, not a day would pass where Chiaki couldn’t help but frantically worry about him. Is he eating well? Sleeping well? He’s not getting involved with any suspicious characters, right?? Is he using the self-defence techniques he had taught him correctly? No, if he’s ever in a situation where he needs to use them, that’s bad, right!?

“On count… One… Two…!”

Chiaki heaved down a heavy, metal lever with all his excess might, turning on the stage lights in sync with his colleagues. 

It’s no good. Really, thinking of him, Chiaki can’t help but be sent down a rabbit hole of worry. But it’s not something he can even talk to the kids about… At least, at the end of the day, his vast amount of workload will have worn him out enough that he can go home, and quickly fall asleep before most of his thoughts can catch up with him…

**. . .**

It was Saturday morning. Or, a Saturday afternoon now. Chiaki had lounged away the morning, rolling around in his bed-- messing around on his phone, reading some tokusatsu news, tossing his phone to the side to rest his eyes for a bit, before opening them after a mere 15 minutes later to grab his phone again, rinse, repeat… Before he knew it, even noon had passed, and the sun began to descend in the sky. Chiaki had resolved to doing leg stretches in his bed to get his blood pumping. Weekends were always the roughest for him, never knowing what to do after his busy week suddenly turned to eventless weekends.

A quiet chime rang out as Chiaki’s phone suddenly vibrated on his chest, giving him a slight scare. An email on a weekend? Switching on his phone, he checked the time-- exactly 4:00pm. The message was from an unknown number. Title: No Subject. Weird. Are spam texts a thing now, too?

Starfishing his legs out on top of his covers, he opened his phone, quickly flipping to the messages app.

_“Chiaki.”_

It felt like a familiar voice rang through his ears.

_“Hello. How has life been treating you?”_

It was written as if the kanji function had been switched off. A message of hiragana filled his screen.

_“It seems that I am in some trouble. I would like to see Chiaki.”  
“Could you come to the sea?”  
“I’ll be waiting there.”  
“Kanata.”_

__

It took several moments for everything to sink in. Suddenly, Chiaki’s brain lept from 20% all the way to 110%. He flipped himself up to a sitting position, gripping his phone intensely with both of his hands.

“Kanata!?”

So suddenly!? Was he in trouble!? He said so himself, didn’t he? How urgent was it!? The sea, huh?? The sea where?? What trouble was there at the sea??

Chiaki was already scrambling about his room, pulling together clothes fit to be worn outside. He pulled on a red hoodie to protect himself from the chilly ocean breeze. He grabbed sandals on the way out of the house.

The chilled air hit him the moment he stepped outside, and his head cooled down as well. Time slowly returned to a normal pace, rationality returning to him.

Kanata… is waiting for him at the ocean.  
Then… Chiaki thinks he knows where.

**. . .**

Chiaki shielded himself from the sandy wind as he took the last few steps on top of the wall of sand that separated the land from the beach. The short stretch of a small beach greeted him. Dried seaweed and broken seashells littered the sand. He wouldn’t call this place a ‘secret’ beach, but more like an unfavored one. Of course, Kanata liked it even more because of that. It was quiet here, rocky and full of wildlife. The lack of traffic made it thrive even more.

It was where Kanata first brought him when showing him the ocean. Chiaki, of course, had seen the ocean plenty of times before, but it was the first time he got to view it from Kanata’s perspective. He was only a junior then. Since, they would visit every so often to clean up any trash or debris that had made its way onto the shore. It had been quite a while since he had last visited, but as he looked down the shore, he noticed that it was in rather good shape. But he couldn’t find Kanata.

Shaking the anxiety out of his head, Chiaki descended down the gentle slope, sand slipping through his sandals as he slid every so often. A white object rolled out of the kicked up sand. Chiaki paused and crouched down, brushing the dry sand off from the object. Chiaki recognized a familiar imprint of a star-like shape, and picked up the sand dollar out of the sand. It wasn’t very big, but was beautifully intact. The edges of it’s brittle, chalky white shell were worn down quite a bit, but it looked like it managed to keep in one piece despite being tossed around so much.

Chiaki smiled, he could probably show it to Kanata…

“Chiaki, you came.”

The sudden voice nearly made Chiaki fall back onto the sand. His heart roused, he quickly looked up. As if he materialized out of nothing, Kanata stood calved deep in the ocean water. The steady waves lapped at Kanata’s knees, gently wetting the bottom of his capris. The warm, orange evening sun radiated off of Kanata, dying his blue hair into a soft seafoam green. The wind picked up again, rustling Kanata’s tousled hair in the breeze. As if afraid the image of him would be blown away, Chiaki left to his feet.

“Kanata! I was so worried you were in trouble, you know?”

Kanata chuckled, a grin on his face.

“Now, Chiaki, who said I wasn’t?”

Chiaki braved the ice cold ocean water as he bounded into the waves, his clothes getting wet as an aftereffect. His shocked face turned serious.

“Oh-- I apologize, Kanata. O-Of course!”

“I’m ki--dding, Chiaki. Well, only a little. It’s true that I am in a bit of a predicament, but I mostly just wanted to see Chiaki.”

Hearing those words in person made Chiaki’s heart leap. He could feel heat rush to his cheeks as he struggled to keep a straight face. Kanata kept smiling at him, the soft, gentle smile he had always worn around him.

“W...Well… I’m here! As promised!”

Chiaki straightened his posture, bringing his fist to his chest in a salute. Kanata’s face perked up in curiosity.

“What’s that, Chiaki?”

“O-Oh, this?”

Chiaki released his fingers around the round shell and held it out towards Kanata.

“I had just picked it up. I saw it, and thought you would like it, so…”

Kanata took it out of his hands, gently tracing the edges of the shell’s fragile skeleton.

“Oh, an _Echinarachnius parma_ test? And such a small one, too… Hehe, did it remind Chiaki of me? I’m honored, what a compliment…”

Chiaki felt the words physically go over his head. Was… Kanata assuming meaning that Chiaki hadn’t even thought of? Sometimes it was if Kanata knew things about him that even he himself didn’t know, but…

“... But, I’m probably not as strong as Chiaki thinks I am.”

“?????”

Chiaki stepped forward and put his hand on Kanata’s shoulder, giving it a small shake.

“Stop saying strange things… I’m sure you’re SUPER strong. You were Ryusei Blue, after all.”

Kanata’s eyes softened as Chiaki continued.

“More importantly, where have you been the past nine months? It’s been such a long time, you know!”

“Yes, yes… Chiaki seems to have gotten so much more mature since I last saw him…”

Chiaki felt like he was hit in the chest with an arrow. He scolded himself lightly. Always missing Kanata’s points and intentions… To him Kanata was always some sort of a mystery he couldn’t solve. Kanata would tell him that he was the only one able to truly understand him, but Chiaki couldn’t think more differently.

Afterall, Chiaki liked Kanata. Like-liked him. And he knew it always got in the way of seeing Kanata the way he really is, like rose-colored glasses. Chiaki couldn’t think of a single thing he disliked about him. Sure, he was always vague, was stubborn as hell, and often joked around inappropriately or didn’t take his jobs seriously enough, but even those qualities filled Chiaki with adoration.

Whenever he’d get too excited, Chiaki would always start thinking of random, irrelevant moments, like that one time Kanata smiled bashfully, or the time Kanata gave his cheek a small kiss. Being with Kanata was a constant battle against being distracted. That’s why, there’s _no_ way Chiaki could properly understand Kanata. Not when he’s like this.

“...But, let’s save that for later. Another time, okay, Chiaki?”

“Huh?”

Another time? Later? Does he mean _soon?_

“Kanata, you’re staying?”

Kanata chuckled embarrassingly. 

“Yes, well… I’ve decided on something.”

“?”

“I’ve decided… to be a little selfish, it seems. It took me a while to decide. I feel that I’m a bit late.”

_‘Well, it has been nine months…’_ Chiaki had almost said before his vision lit up as Kanata gave him a sheepish look. A genuine look of shyness was on Kanata’s face. He looked happy and youthful. Chiaki stood attentively.

“W...Well… what is it?”

“Haha, I apologize… Chiaki is listening so closely, too.”

And Chiaki was ready to listen, but instead he heard the sound of water being stepped through as Kanata moved closer. Chiaki was about to ask him if there was anything wrong, when he realized he couldn’t speak.

Instead, a warmness touched Chiaki’s lips and a calming salty scent surrounded him. A wet hand propped itself on Chiaki’s jaw. Kanata was kissing him.

Time felt like it had slowed down. Chiaki realized that it was because he was savoring every moment. His hands flailed a slight bit before he found Kanata’s sides, and he grabbed on lightly with trembling hands. A bubbling sensation filled his chest. The kiss could only last so long, however, and Chiaki felt Kanata pull back. Kanata’s eyes slowly opened, his shimmering yellow-green irises snapping Chiaki out of his dizzy trance. His warm cheeks suddenly felt like they were on fire.

“I--I--I--I do…!!!”

The words spilled out of Chiaki’s mouth loudly and sloppily, to which Kanata responded with a quiet, but hearty laugh.

“What do you mean, Chiaki? I really don’t understand you at all…”

Chiaki felt like he had stunned himself into silence. So much was running through his head, so many questions, like ‘when did this happen!?’

But… he was so happy. In all his anxiety, worry, and cluelessness, he felt so happy.

Kanata placed his hands on Chiaki’s chest and leaned in against him. A tumbling wave crashed against them, pressing Kanata closer, soaking their waists and back with the cold seawater.

“But… I’m so happy Chiaki feels the same way.”

**Author's Note:**

> ...and then you know Kanata moves into Chiaki's apartment absolutely impromptu with nothing more than a small bag of clothes. He's far far away from his family now, and Chiaki is just standing there in gay panic
> 
> Anyways they're married now


End file.
